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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Silence Over Gaza; Ebola Outbreak; Cross Country Floods

Aired August 05, 2014 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: EARLY START continues right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: And breaking news this morning, silence over Gaza. A three-day cease-fire between Hamas and Israel beginning just hours ago. Israel withdrawing its troops from the Gaza Strip. But can this last?

Live team coverage from the ground in Gaza, Jerusalem, and in Cairo, where peace negotiations are set to begin.

BERMAN: Ebola outbreak, two infected Americans recovering with an experimental drug. One back home in the United States already, the other joining him today. This, as the virus rampages across Africa and a New York City man is quarantined. We'll have the latest ahead.

Good morning, everyone. Great to see you today. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman.

FEYERICK: And I'm Deborah Feyerick, in for Christine Romans. It is Tuesday, August 5th. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East. We welcome all of our viewers here in the United States and around the world.

And up first, the cease-fire in Gaza entering its fifth hour. It appears to be holding. Israel and Hamas pressing pause on all the bloodshed that has plagued that area, halting a month long conflict that has killed nearly 2,000 people, the majority of them civilians. Both sides are conceding that keeping the peace is going to be quite difficult.

Meanwhile, Gaza is in ruins. One-fourth of its population has been displaced and had to go elsewhere. According to the U.N., infrastructure damage from the Israeli bombardment now tops $4 billion.

Karl Penhaul is in Gaza this morning with the very latest on the cease-fire.

What is the mood of the people who are returning? You are talking to a number of them, Karl.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The mood among the people, Deborah, is absolutely stunned. One man, coming home to this neighborhood for the first time since he was displaced and went to live in a U.N. shelter. He walked down the street, this is called Hill Street, and he said, I feel like I'm in a dream.

He said, I can't understand what I'm looking at. Me and my family spent years putting $100,000 into a home, the whole family. Now, it's destroyed. No insurance company will give money to rebuild. We don't know what we are doing.

He says, I'm glad that the shooting has stopped, he said, but the problems, really, are just beginning.

I said to him, well, you know, the shooting stopped. Do you think there was a winner or loser? He looked up to me as if I had gone crazy, said this is war, there are no winners.

When you look around at this, it's easy to kind of understand what he and his neighbors are thinking. This used to be a two-story building. It seems to have been dropped by a bomb, some kind of airstrike. If you look at the buildings behind, clearly, some kinds of artillery rounds smashed through those buildings. There are pockmarked with shrapnels, there are just holes in neighborhoods where homes used to be.

That is what people are coming home to, nothing, to rubble, to ruins and they are asking, where do we go from here? Deborah?

FEYERICK: Yes, no question about it, the holes in the ground, also the way people are feeling when they come home and they got nothing.

All right. Karl Penhaul, thank you.

BERMAN: Now, Israel claims it has achieved most of its objectives in Gaza and winding down the military operation, pulling back its ground forces. They sent a tweet a few minutes ago saying all of its troops have been pulled back past the Gaza borders. Israeli defense officials insisting most of Hamas tunnels have now been destroyed, while the Hamas military capabilities have been crushed.

I want to bring in Sara Sidner now live from Ashkelon in Israel.

You know -- and, Sara, the Israeli Defense Force says, you know, mission accomplished.

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They basically said -- they basically said that. They said they have gotten rid of 32 tunnels that they feared would allow militants to come into Israel. They blew those up. You have been seeing those pictures throughout the four-week o offensive.

And we've also been hearing from them about peace talks. The Israeli spokesman for the prime minister office telling CNN, that if indeed the cease-fire holds, Israel will send a delegation to Egypt where Islamic jihad and Hamas are saying they are holding peace talks today to try to further this. Remember that, for now, this is a 72-hour humanitarian peace talk and basically, what's happening is this -- they hope it will hold for 72 hours. The hope is, of course, it will hold for longer.

All of the previous cease-fires have been extremely short. There was one that was 12 hours. It was agreed to. That barely got off the ground before the fighting started again. There were a couple that each side called for, but the other did not agree.

And then there was this last one, the 72-hour agreement that just started a few hours ago. But it has lasted longer than any other cease-fire that were called for. And so, that is the good news at this hour, if it holds Israel, saying they will send a delegation to Egypt to continue the talks to try to create a longer bit of peace -- John.

BERMAN: You do have a great point, Sara. This one does feel different. Not only have the Israeli troops withdrawn from Gaza, but the level of rhetoric from both sides seems to be different this time. The Israel at least conceding they are willing to go to Egypt under certain circumstances to have discussions.

SIDNER: Right. I think the thing that is really different that really makes the biggest difference here is that Israeli troops have left Gaza. Hamas said in the past, that as long as there are fighters on the ground expect to be fired upon. If they are in the territory that Hamas controls there in Gaza.

Now, that is different. Israeli troops pulled back. They said that they have their entire military apparatus out of Gaza, on the perimeters. Israel saying they need to be able to defend itself, it needs to be able to do that, but it is doing that from outside the borders of Gaza now. And I think that may be the big difference here and we will hopefully see a longer amount of peace.

I mean, you have seen the devastation there in Gaza. It is massive. Thousands of people who are injured, you know, 1,800 -- more than 1,800 people who are dead, people needing to bury their dead and care for the wounded there.

On this side, the sirens have been going off and the rockets that have been coming over, parents that live on the border, very, very upset and stressed out and worried about their families. Everyone tired after four weeks of fighting -- John.

BERMAN: As of now, at least for the last four hours, those sirens have stopped and the rockets have ceased to be fallen there.

So, Sara Sidner for us in Israel, thanks so much.

There are peace talks in Egypt that are expected to begin soon. Can Hamas and Israel forge forward to have any substantive discussions?

Our Reza Sayah is there this morning, monitoring every development. He'll join us live in just a few moments.

FEYERICK: Health officials in New York are waiting for test results on a man with Ebola-like symptoms. That's how they're describing it. The man was quarantined after telling doctors that he got sick after returning from West Africa. But officials at Mount Sinai Hospital say it is not likely a case of Ebola. They are trying to play down the drama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the most important thing is people should understand, if this were a case of Ebola, which we do not know, that it is not transmitted by casual contact. And everything that happened in Mt. Sinai happened in a very rapid fashion, such that we were certain that the patient did not pose risk to other patients, or to our staff or to visitors to Mount Sinai.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And doctors expect lab results in the next few days. They say there was no threat to anyone else in the hospital because teams there responded very, very quickly.

BERMAN: The second American infected with Ebola is on her way back to America this morning. Nancy Writebol has been evacuated from Liberia and will receive treatment at the same Atlanta hospital that her colleague Dr. Kent Brantly is currently being treated in. Brantly arrived at Emory over the weekend. He's already said to be improving.

Both Dr. Brantly and Writebol were treated in Liberia with an experimental drug being developed by a U.S. company. But doctors say a clinical trial that would include more patients is needed to demonstrate the safety.

FEYERICK: And meanwhile, the virus is rapidly spreading in West Africa. They certainly could us the serum there. Nearly 1,700 people infected with the virus since it was detected in March. Over 800 deaths spanning Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria. And according to the World Health Organization, the overall death rate stands at 55 percent of those infected. Hundreds of troops now deployed to quarantine infected communities. World Bank is pledging $200 million in emergency aid to fight the spread of the virus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM YONG KIM, PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD BANK: This is the largest epidemic ever of Ebola. It's in three countries. It's extended to the capital cities. And as predicted, the mortality rate is upwards to 60 percent, 70 percent. This is a very serious epidemic.

The good news is that there are things we can do right now to lessen the impact, to prevent the spread. And moreover, this is a wake-up call. We need to build that public health infrastructure. We're going commit to doing it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And there's no known cure for Ebola.

I want to bring in Alison Kosik. Alison, you've been watching these stocks at pharmaceuticals here. This could be ground breaking if they find this serum, once it's tested, can cure the symptoms of Ebola. It could be a game changer.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, definitely. And you're seeing Wall Street is latching on to the companies that either have medications that treat Ebola or are working on these experimental drugs.

Case in point, Tekmira Pharmaceuticals, we saw shares of this company surge. This is a company that's working on a drug to treat Ebola. So, these shares surged almost 40 percent last week. That rally tapered off after CNN reported they were treated with a different drug. But that doesn't mean that Tekmira's drug won't be approved by the FDA. In fact, experts say the government is actually working with several companies on an Ebola treatment.

OK. Let's go ahead and take a look at stocks around the world. Asian shares ending the day lower on slow growth in China's services sector. We're seeing European shares higher right now on positive manufacturing data and ahead of the opening bell.

Today, we are seeing U.S. futures pointing slightly higher. We did see stocks rally yesterday. That's kind of put into rest any fears that a market correction could be around the corner. In fact, I think if you are seeing many investors say, hey, that dip that the markets took last week, that's a buying opportunity.

FEYERICK: That's the way they sell it anyway.

KOSIK: Exactly.

BERMAN: Thanks, Alison.

Coming up for us, crisis in Ukraine. Russia building up troops. We'll have the latest ahead.

FEYERICK: Plus, flash floods across the country. Who was hardest hit and where will storms strike today? Indra Petersons is tracking the latest. That's coming up, right ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Violence is escalating in Iraq. The country's prime minster ordering his air force to support Kurdish troops in their battle with Sunni extremists. It's the first time that the Kurds and Iraqis they have joined forces since the extremists captured the city of Mosul back in June. Kurdish troops were just soundly defeated by militant forces who took over three towns in Northern Iraq this weekend.

New concerns in Ukraine. U.S. officials say the Russians have doubled the number of battalion stationed at the Ukrainian border and could launch incursion with little warning at this point. About 20,000 troops now assembled. That's according to intelligence, along with 14 surface-to-air missile units and close to three dozens artillery batteries.

FEYERICK: And Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl will soon come face-to-face with the army general investigating how he was captured. The two-star general will handle the questioning when he sits with Bergdahl tomorrow in Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. Many of Bergdahl's fellow soldiers have accused him of being a deserter. Bergdahl was freed after five years in captivity during what was very a controversial prison swap that led to the release of five high ranking Taliban members.

BERMAN: New details about the controversial two-hour execution of an Arizona inmate last month. Joseph Wood was administered 15 doses of a lethal untested drug cocktail before he was pronounced dead. That's according to the state's Department of Corrections. The July 23rd execution was the first in Arizona to use a new combination of drugs. Wood was convicted for the 1989 killing of his former girlfriend and her father.

FEYERICK: And the so-called porch shooter returns to the stand later this morning in his own defense. David Wafer is charged with second degree murder for killing 19-year-old Renisha McBride last year after she banged on his door overnight. Wafer claims that he opened the front door and shot her because he feared that he was in danger and didn't want to be a victim.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID WAFER, DEFENDANT: I opened the door all the way, as much as I could. As soon as I did that this person came out from the side of my house so fast. I raised the gun and shot. He fell backwards in slow motion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Now, McBride reportedly had been drinking, smoking marijuana and had a wreck near Wafer's house just before the shooting.

BERMAN: The tap water in Toledo declared safe to drink, at least for now. The scientists say the toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie are likely to persist. And the problem could return. City managers have added more activated carbon and chlorine to the water supply. But this bloom is expected to peak again in September. It's going to affect drinking water in other nearby towns as well.

FEYERICK: That's right. Going to wait to drink that.

Well, extreme weather from coast-to-coast. Just look at Las Vegas. Heavy rains, flooding roads leading to dozens of accidents. Cars literally washed off streets into ditches. Some highways had to be closed because of mudslides and rising water.

BERMAN: Flash flooding also a big problem on Florida's Gulf Coast. Six inches of rain falling in Naples, making Monday the wettest August day in that city's history. The Collier County sheriff's office declaring a civil emergency. Nearly four dozen people were stranded in their vehicles by the floodwaters. FEYERICK: And in Southern California, folks in San Bernardino are

picking up the pieces after the worst flash flooding in 45 years. One motorist was killed when his vehicle swept into a creek. The damage estimated in the millions this morning.

BERMAN: So, what's going on here and will it continue?

Indra Petersons has a look at the forecast.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Nice, enjoy.

I have to say, by the way, around Mt. Baldy, that's a one in 500-year storm. They got about almost over 400 inches of rain in one hour. Take a look at what else in the video you were showing. You're talking about 3/4 inch of rain in 15 minutes. That's what they saw in Vegas, and all the way in the opposite side of the country, in Florida, you just talked about it, about over 6.5 inches of rain there in just one day.

A lot is going on. It's the good news. In the West Coast, we're talking about really these heavy thunderstorms. They have been very slow moving.

Notice the brown? That is dry air and you're seeing the low lifting out of there. So, conditions are improving. They need that to clean up the thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, into the Southeast is starting to get a little bit better. It is still the southeast this time of year. We're still talking about a frontal boundary bringing some showers. The bigger story is another storm making its way into the Midwest, into the Ohio Valley and then into the Northeast by tomorrow. This storm actually has a severe component to it. We're talking about the Quad Cities looking for that potential for some of those heavier thunderstorms as we get in through tomorrow.

Otherwise, I think everyone has been focusing on what has been going on with Bertha. Now, 65-mile-per-hour winds. So, yes, it's now downgraded to a tropical storm. Still expected to continue its way off the coastline.

The one thing to keep in mind, have a trip toward Hawaii, there are two storms guys heading toward Hawaii. It was a category four. It is downgraded to a three this morning, expected to hit as a tropical storm. Another system is behind it.

BERMAN: Still unpleasant.

PETERSONS: Definitely unpleasant.

BERMAN: All right. Thanks so much.

FEYERICK: I would take it if I live in Hawaii, though. >

PETERSONS: Yes, me, too. Well, back to our big story this morning. Cease-fire over Gaza. Israel and Hamas agreeing to a three-day truce. But can a permanent deal be worked out? Negotiations are underway in Cairo. We'll take you there live, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: The 72-hour cease-fire in Gaza appears to be holding this morning. It begun more than three hours ago. Hamas and Israel agreeing to the truce after another flurry of deadly violence. Israelis winding down their operation in Gaza. They withdrawn now their ground troops from Gaza, claiming all the Hamas tunnels -- virtually all of them have been destroyed.

FEYERICK: And the road to lasting peace may lead through Egypt. Negotiations set to take place soon in Cairo. Our Reza Sayah is there live this morning.

And, Reza, when are they supposed to meet? Where are they expected to meet? And will they be face-to-face or they're going through negotiators, Egyptian negotiators?

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Deborah, much of that is not clear yet. We understand that the Israelis have yet to arrive. The Palestinians are already here with the delegation and much of the world is keeping eyes on Cairo to see when the Israeli team arrives and when they sit down and starts negotiating.

But I think much of the world has taken a look at the past four weeks, the staggering death toll, the staggering number of civilians killed and they want these two sides to sit down, stop fighting and negotiate a lasting truce. Once again, the Palestinian delegation is here for the negotiations. They arrived over the weekend and crafted the cease-fire plan that is in effect at this point. They crafted the plan, conveyed it to the Egyptian government, the Egyptians took it to the Israelis who said yes.

The Israeli government has made it clear. They are willing to come and want to see if the cease-fire holds. Once they are convinced, they say they are going to send the delegation team. Of course, we've had cease-fire plans before in this roughly four week conflict. They haven't held, but you get the sense that this one feels different. You get the sense that both sides, this time, are taking the cease- fire plan seriously, Deborah.

And once they are confident that both sides are viewing this thing as for real, the plan is to get here and sit across from the table with one another and negotiate what ideally is going to be a lasting truce.

FEYERICK: Yes. And Egypt put forth a proposal last month. Israel had accepted it. Hams did not and it will be interesting to see whether a similar proposal is put on the table now that all the fighting has happened and now ended. Thanks, Reza.

BERMAN: All right. We're going to watch the cease-fire over Gaza all morning. We are four and a half hours into this three-day truce. Will it hold? We will have live team coverage ahead from Gaza, from Jerusalem, right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)